Three in five UK adults are planning an overseas holiday this year, so with millions of people across the UK planning on heading off on holiday this Easter and over the summer months, travellers offer an easy target for unscrupulous fraudsters.

Holidaymakers lost over £11 million to holiday scams last year, according to research from Action Fraud. Over 6,000 reports of holiday fraud were made last year with an average loss of over £1,800 per victim.

The rise in appetite for travel in the run-up to the summer peaks means there are multiple opportunities for fraudsters to try to separate consumers from their money. Criminals love to hide amongst genuine behaviour, and the massive increase in activity allows them to blend further into the shadows.

Almost half (46%) of UK adults say they see an increase in scam attempts around peak periods such as Easter. Common scams include social media posts promoting fake deals on accommodation or flights, clone booking websites that look identical to popular travel sites such as Booking.com or AirBnB and fraudulent emails that may offer cancellation refunds in exchange for entering personal details.

Three in ten (30%) UK adults have been victims of financial fraud, and more than half (55%) have seen increased scam attempts in the last 12 months whilst 80% say they are more cautious about fraud or scams on social media.

The latest figures from UK Finance indicate that fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, accounting for 40% of all offenses recorded in England and Wales and resulting in losses of almost £1.2 billion.

Fraud expert Dave Excell, Founder of Featurespace, shares his top tips on staying safe from scammers:

1. Stick to reputable websites: Avoid social media sellers, especially those who DM you or ask for direct payments. For surprise trips or dream events, only use official ticketing sites.
2. Stay protected when spending: If you do make a payment that isn’t on a well-known, trusted website then paying via credit card or through platforms such as PayPal offers better protection. Recalling bank transfer payments that you’ve authorised is highly unlikely.
3. Verify website security: Look for "https" and the padlock icon before making any online transaction. Hover over payment links to see the real destination URL in your browser's corner.
4. Beware "too good to be true" deals: That "sold-out" luxury apartment with stunning sea views but at a fraction of the usual price? It's probably a scam. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
5. Contact your bank ASAP: Need online safety advice? Think you've been scammed? Call your bank immediately. They can help protect your funds and offer support. Most scam victims are happy with their bank's assistance.

As scams become more complex, almost six in ten people (57%) appreciate banks providing additional information on safeguarding against financial fraud and scams – this type of information can be supported by the banks' use of cutting-edge technology to provide additional intelligence and more sophisticated scores.

In addition to boosting consumer awareness of the evolving tactics of scammers, banks are also embracing technology that can help to fight the rise in fraud and ensure consumers are protected before the scam occurs. To combat rising scam rates, banks are investing in advanced anti-fraud measures and AI technologies to proactively identify and prevent fraudulent transactions, analysing billions of transactions to stay ahead of evolving scam tactics.

AI holds the key – by utilising behavioural data, AI solutions empower financial institutions to identify and prevent unusual or fraudulent transactions in milliseconds while protecting consumers and reducing losses.